Category Archives: Mommyhood

Hannah is quite the little party planner! {And, as an afterthought, I may have made a mistake introducing my artsy-crafty girl to the world of Pinterest.} She had the decorations, guest list, food, cake, and activities planned for months! Actually, her organization and detailed lists, along with Grandma’s help, were the only reason we were even able to pull off a party less than 2 weeks after adding a new baby to our family!

{The Snowflake and “Happy Birthday” banners, and the water bottle labels were another Pinterest find.}

And, as always, Hannah had very specific ideas about her cake…or her cupcakes.
Chocolate, with vanilla (white) frosting…and snowflake decorations!
She and Grandma baked and decorated them together.

Licking the spoon is the best part.
And, like the sweet big sister that she is,
Hannah shared this privilege with her little sister.

*****

The actual party was a bit more low-key than Hannah’s original plans.
But, everyone seemed to have a good time.

We invited several girls from church…

The girls had fun making paper snowflakes. (Yes, in Texas. In April.)

And, then they talked and giggled some more as they enjoyed the snacks.

Hannah has very sweet friends, and received some very thoughtful gifts…

A beautiful purse, books, and several craft projects!

Then, it was time for cupcakes and ice cream!

***

After our friends headed home, we continued the celebration with dinner, and gifts from the family…books about horses, doll clothes, more books (about more horses!), and a t-shirt and flip flops with horses on them! That theme was unintentional…but very appropriate for our horse-lover.

For the cake, he wanted “yemon” (lemon), with chocolate frosting. He actually loves lemon. But, lemon and chocolate? I wasn’t too sure about that flavor combination…we ended up going with yellow cake, and that seemed to be exactly what he was asking for. My cake decorating abilities are decidedly limited. But, with the help of pinterest (and obviously, that was only for ideas…I was not going for an exact replica!), a few stolen uh, I mean borrowed construction trucks, and a creative big sister, we managed to pull off a cake that pleased our new 3-year-old…and that’s really all that matters.

I constantly say that you are “all boy.” And you are. You love to play with your cars and trucks…and it never ceases to amaze me how you just know what noises to make. You can name the construction equipment that we pass on the roads…and you get so disappointed when they aren’t moving. You could run and dig in the back yard for hours! And, if I don’t (or can’t) let you go outside to play, you run around the living room, and climb on the furniture.

I’m convinced that you would be happy if I would let you live on peanut butter sandwiches, oatmeal, and strawberries. You know what you like. Of course, it does make your mommy’s life easier!

You are in a unique position in our family. You are the only boy…a little brother and big brother! And, you manage to fill both roles so well. You love to play Legos with your big sister…although your version is decidedly a bit more destructive than hers. But, you love any chance to be with her.

You have grown into a wonderful big brother. I loved seeing your excitement when Rebekah was born, and I love seeing how it has continued to grow over the last year. I know she takes your cars, and messes up your games (just like you do to Hannah). But, I love seeing you learning how to share, and how to be kind, and to be patient. Even so, it is so obvious that you adore her. You take care of her, and protect her. And you always try to comfort her when she cries, or gets hurt. (Even when you were the one who hurt her.) And, I am looking forward to watching you love your new little sister when she comes. I love watching you get so excited to feel her move, and it just melts my heart when you already want to give her hugs.

You definitely have your mommy’s stubborn personality (sorry, bud!). And, at the same time, you can be so sweet, and sensitive, and compassionate. You definitely have your mommy wrapped around that little finger. I love how you ask to hold my hand, and to tuck you in to bed at night. I love your sweet hugs and kisses as we say goodnight, and how you ask in the morning if they are still on. And, how you often pause in your playing just to say “Mommy, you’re my best.”

Yes, you may be a bit of a mama’s boy right now…and I’m enjoying it while it lasts. But, you love your daddy so much! You get so excited when he gets home from work…or when we get to go visit him at church (as long as there aren’t too many people there). You want to dress like him, and pretend to “workout” like him. (Keep watching your daddy. I can’t think of anyone better for you to imitate as you grow up!)

You are an amazing answer to so many years of prayers!
Happy 3rd Birthday, Titus!!! We love you!

Okay. I’ll admit it. I’m a “peeker.” I like that I can find out baby’s gender before he or she is born. I like using pronouns other than “it” to describe my child. Plus, I like to plan.

I know that “gender reveal” parties are quite popular right now. But, just like waiting until baby is born to find out if we have a boy or a girl would make me crazy, I don’t think I could stand not knowing my baby’s gender – even for a short time – while other people know.

At the same time, I do kind of get the appeal. It has been fun to come up with creative ways to announce what baby is to the big siblings. So, we do our own version of a gender reveal party.

When we found out Titus was a boy, we went to Target and bought some blue onesies for Hannah to open up. I guess we made it a tradition by buying some pink jammies after Rebekah’s ultrasound.

So…

Today was our “big” ultrasound! Of course, our first priority was to make sure that baby was healthy and developing normally.

All Snuggled Up

After the appointment, we headed home to tell the big brother and big sisters the news!

We got a neutral bag so we wouldn’t give anything away.

It was so fun to watch the news sink in after they opened the bag!

Big Brother Titus holding the PINK Burp Cloths

Pink???

It’s a girl?!?!

Oh brother… (No. Despite how it looks, he really was excited. He has been saying that baby is a girl all along!)

Daddy & Big Sister Rebekah are Excited!

The Happy (and Surprised!) Big Sister

Yes, it looks like Titus is still outnumbered. It’s a GIRL!!!

Our Baby Girl

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Our little girl is growing, and developing right on track. But, during the ultrasound, it was discovered that I have a slight placenta previa. I am not overly concerned, as I had a “low lying” placenta with Titus, and placenta previa with Rebekah. In both cases, the placenta moved as baby grew, and my doctor seems confident that is what will happen this time as well. But, I would appreciate your prayers to that end. If things don’t change, we will be looking at a C-section, which, Lord-willing, I would prefer to avoid.

Welcome, friends!

I am a {pastor’s} wife, homemaker, and {homeschooling} mommy of 4. Most of my time is spent teaching, training, and treasuring my children, and tending to the care of our home...Usually with a cup of {strong!} coffee in hand. My days are full, but my life is far from complicated!